California Scrub Jay

Hello and happy Spring! California Scrub jays are one of the most common birds I see where I live. If you live in the Northwest, you have probably heard their loud call at least once.

 California Scrub Jays have a blue head, tail, and wings, and gray shoulders. They have a darker patch of feathers by their eyes and a white underside. Their bold colors make them easy to spot and recognize.

 Scrub Jays can be seen on high points, diving into flight while screeching loudly.

 In 2016 the species "western scrub jay" was split into two, the California Scrub Jay and the Woodhouse Scrub Jay. They look similar but the California Scrub Jay is a more bold shade of blue and much more noisy. California Scrub Jays are native to the pacific coast in states such as Oregon, California, and Washington, whereas Woodhouse Scrub Jays are seen more in the west.

I hope you enjoyed this blog! Happy Spring!

California Quail

Hello! A couple days ago I looked outside and saw a whole covey of quail in my yard (a covey is a group of quail).

 California quails are a common game bird to see in the northwest and are the state bird of California. They travel in groups and spend most of their time on the ground. The mostly forage in the morning and evening, and eat a wide variety of plants.

 Males are gray with a black head and brown wings. They have bold white stripes framing their face and a black and white scaled pattern on their chest.

Females are all brown with the same scale pattern on their chest. Males and females both have a plume of comma shaped feathers projecting from their head, but the female's is smaller.

 I love seeing quail in my yard and taking pictures of them. I hope you enjoyed this blog!